Remember the livemusic video Gwen Stefani performed during the Grammy’s in March? That was one of the many examples of what live streaming can do. Taken all in one shot, the artist managed to shoot her video using the popular live-streaming application Periscope to release her song to her fans and those watching theGrammy’s in a creative way. By the next day, people were buzzing about her single (and the fall she took in those roller skates) all due to live-streaming.

The opportunity to show real content in real-time has been made possible through live-streaming applications, and it has gained popularity amongst popular social media platforms. From Snapchat’s 10 second videos toFacebook Live, users have the ability to sit down, turn on their cameras, and share their thoughts on the social web.

But how can this help your brand? How does this benefit an organization?

Live-streaming incorporates many factors that can help organizations establish brand loyalty and awareness through unpaid organic traffic flow. It provides organizations the ability to engage with their consumers in real-time and receive feedback through comments or questions asked during their live-stream that can help develop a relationship. At the same time, once the live-stream has ended, organizations have the ability to re-play and re-use the content forconventional videos.

Organizations can offer transparency through live-streaming by letting their fans view what they are doing behind the scenes, which can help grow a brand’s image. It can serve as a vehicle to inform consumers about new products or plans. The overall purpose is to make the viewer feel as if they are in the room with you.

Live-streaming has the ability to reach maximum audiences at a minimum cost. Because these streams are live, users feel a sense of urgency to participate in something that is happening immediately andin the moment. This helps reach large audiences on a grand scale since most of these live-streams have the ability to be shared amongst social media platforms.